November 14 Arts Cafe

The latest in the series of Arts Cafe Evenings hosted by Liverpool Voice at Sefton Park Cricket Club was an outstanding success last night.

Such is the reputation that these evenings have generated in the past that there was a packed audience, so much so that the bar staff asked people to bring their empties to the bar as there was little room for them to move between the tables to collect them.

The choir kicked off the evening singing "Wassail" a mid-winter song celebrating the apple tree in expectation of good cider next year, before moving on to the popular song "Moon River". The choir returned at intervals throughout the evening, but there was rich fare from individual choir members, ensembles or friends of the choir.

Chris Keogh, whose brother Sean sings tenor in the choir, is a talented pianist, and entertained us well, first with a beautiful piece by Ravel, and then a piece of his own composition. We very much enjoyed the fruits of his study at Aberdeen university. Later his brother Sean sat at the keyboard and sang a song of his own composition, and a Christmas song by the Chieftains. A versatile singer, very different style to what we sing in the choir.

Brenda Connor, who sings alto in the choir sang two jazz numbers, which were well received. Also outstanding was the piano accompaniment, by John McHugh, who also accompanied the choir throughout the evening. 

Erik Bichard sang a setting of Houseman's poem 'A Shropshire Lad' by Butterworth, and later in the evening he was joined by Denise Owen as they sang a duet from a Mozart opera. Sung in German, and very beautiful.

We were joined by friends from Widnes and Warrington, Chris and Cath, who came with 12 string guitar and Ukulele, and sang numbers in both halves of the evening, including the 1964 song "Where have all the flowers gone" by Pete Seeger. 

Liverpool Voice performs some classical repertoire, and "Hodie" by Sweelinck, a sixteenth century composer, showcased some of this.  It also introduced the Christmas theme, which was followed up by "Carol of the Bells" before the break brought an opportunity for the audience to refresh their glasses at the bar.

The lighter side of the repertoire resumed after the break with a beautiful setting of "Over the Rainbow" followed by a new one for the choir "Unforgettable"

Toward the end the pre Christmas atmosphere returned with a round "Christmas Eve in the Old Town House" sung by a group comprising choir members and one of their mothers. It is rare to have an evening without something by John Rutter, and his arrangement of Silent Night preceded the final number, which was a Christmas Medley, joined by Chris and Cath, and two choir members playing the flute, and various members of choir and audience playing bells during "Winter Wonderland" "Jingle Bells" and other well known songs.  During this John McHugh vacated the keyboard seat to play bass guitar, while Lesley Bentley, musical director and conductor led from the keyboard.

Lesley deserves special mention not only for the high standard of performance achieved by the choir, but also the welcoming atmosphere she creates introducing each performer.

Very often Liverpool Voice finish their evenings with "Keep you in Peace" but this time it was displaced as members of the audience requested a repeat of "Moon River". Very nice too.

Watch out for the next Arts Cafe evening, probably toward the end of March, and try and get to "Joy to the World - An evening of Christmas Songs and Audience Carols" at Mossley Hill Parish Church on Thursday 11th December at 7.30pm.

The Laindons, Hastings

Jon and Sara made us feel welcome, and we felt very much at home during our 5 day stay at the Laindons this November.
The accommodation is tastefully decorated, with a fishing or nautical theme, giving a relaxed and uncluttered feel throughout.The room was clean light airy warm and spacious. The bed was very comfortable and the en-suite with shower very adequate.
The location is ideal. Hastings Old Town has the feel of a village, nestling between West and East Hill, away from the busyness of the new town beyond West Hill. There are many cafes, pubs, restaurants, a myriad of shops, quirky and independent, and lots of antiques. Mostly they are on George Street, on the sea front, and at that end of the High Street. The Laindons stands part way along the High Street, where the shops start to give way to the quite old and picturesque residential end. The traffic is minimal, and there is a cut through to a car park with free overnight parking.
Breakfast is a fine affair, home made muesli with yoghurt and home made fruit compote, with Bircher muesli or grapefruit as alternatives. A limited choice, but I would not choose anything different. The full English breakfast was excellent, as was the smoked haddock and Blueberry pancake options. The apple and pear juice was sourced from a local farm, though I did miss options for orange a grapefruit.  A Dualit toaster was on-hand to make your own toast from the delicious home made bread, very soft, yet easy to cut, and very tasty, a true delight.
Breakfast was served in a first floor conservatory, with views looking out over East Hill. Next to the conservatory was the residents lounge, which we found to be very comfortable. There were books and games, and we played a few games of scrabble, and ate our fish and chips there one night.
Also in the evening, there are apples tangerines, and nuts with a nut cracker freely available, while outside the rooms there were crisps drinks and other refreshments for sale. In the room, each evening were two home made cake portions, wrapped for freshness, as well as a flask of fresh milk for the tea and coffee making in the room.
It is not ideal for disability. Ann needed assistance, an arm or walking stick, for the three steps up to the front door, and the stairs up to the first floor had a turn, and an outward opening door at the top. The stairs up to our room were OK, but we will ask for one of the two first floor rooms next time.
All of Hastings Old town are within easy walking distance. We enjoyed our anniversary meal at The First In Last out pub and ate twice at the excellent Cafe Maroc, both less than 100 yards walk.  We also enjoyed Hanushka Coffee Bar during the day.

Gargoyle

Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson is a story of love and loyalty, and a great read.

We never find out the protagonist's name. He refers to himself on occasions as the Gargoyle, on account of the severe burns he received a a result of a road accident.  We meet him in hospital as he alternates between telling us of the accident and his treatment, and from an earlier timeline, of his childhood and life before the accident. The dual timeline is a taste of what is to come.

Other than an ability for vivid description and a certain intellectual honesty, he has no virtue about him. He used to spend his days acting in and producing porn movies, he was drinking whisky and had taken drugs when he drove off the road, and spends his time planning how he will commit suicide once he is discharged from the watchful eye of the hospital staff. You may well be tempted to cease reading such bleak and objectionable material, but it is worth persevering with the book.

Somehow, the hospital staff fail to stop a patient from a psychiatric ward slipping into the burns ward, and the enigma that is Marianne Engel comes into his life. Oddball and eccentric, claiming to have been brought up in a convent in Engelthal the early 14th century, and accountable to three masters, the staff let her continue to visit as he has no other friends or family.The relationship grows and eventually the hospital staff agree that he can live with her on his discharge from hospital.

He also wins the respect and friendship of the doctor and the physiotherapist who are treating him, the psychologist who is not. He borrows psychology text books in his quest to diagnose Marianne Engel. Even as the relationship grows, it is always Marianne Engel, never Marianne.  Her story grows more fanciful; he also lived in the 14th century, and arrived needing treatment for burns at Engelthal, and their earlier relationship begins.  We get two developing love stories, in two different time lines.

Marianne Engel also tells him four other stories, which lay seeds for how the main story will develop. Some of these are the most inspiring and powerful stories, truly remarkable, and would do credit to any short story collection. Even as you wonder how the book will end, we know from these that it is a story of love and loyalty.

In both timelines, 14th century and present day, the suspense builds, and it becomes quite a page turner.  After a while we stop questioning how they can have known each other in medieval Germany, and just get drawn in to the story, as does the Gargoyle himself.

When he comes off his dependency on morphine there is a bewildering experience borrowing from Dante's Inferno (just recently written in the earlier timeline) and characters from the four short stories. If it is easy to portray evil powerfully, but hard to portray good, then one section in this chapter proves Andrew Davidson to be a master.

There is something about the pace of the book that is very satisfying. There is adventure and thrill, there is gathering storm, but it is tempered in part by each story being interrupted by the other, and part by the central puzzle. Do we believe Marianne Engel's story? What is the nature of belief and faith? The Gargoyle puzzles these issues throughout the book, but ultimately the story is not one of faith, but of love.

Greenbank Park

Pictures of Greenbank Park Liverpool on a bright Autumn Morning

Paul Klee

Ann and I went to see the Paul Klee exhibition at the Tate Modern on our anniversary weekend.  On Saturday we visited the market at Portobello Road, and on Sunday we saw the exhibition before having  lunch with some oaf the family.
Before we ever got to London I learnt that I liked the paintings  of August Macke. Of the paintings on the web there were very few I did not really like, bright and colourful, with broad blocks of colour, much like some of Klee's. They travelled together with another friend to Tunisia in 1914, which was very significant for Klee in gaining confidence  in using colour. Sadly Macke never saw his thirtieth birthday, as he died in the first world war. Later Klee also fought for Germany, but unbeknown to him, by that time the army were putting artists in less dangerous posts.
At the exhibition  the first noticeable thing was how small many of the paintings  were. There was often an immense amount of detail, in quite a small area.  The paintings repaid a close examination, but it was a mistake not to also view them from a distance.
We have one Klee print at home, and while I now know that he painted in many more styles, I still think of different size blocks of colour as being his signature style. What surprised me was that he developed this style quite early in his career, and continued to use it alongside other techniques. One particlar painting like this from mid way through the chronological exhibition absorbed our attention for a good while while Ann and I sat together discussing it. It was amazing how so apparently  simple painting had so much that repaid careful observation.
Whereas our print was watercolour where the blocks of colour ran into each other at points, this was different for having bold lines separating the blocks. I thought line was a major feature of many of the paintings. This was especially apparent in some paintings comprising primarily of blocks, where a few isolated angled lines conveyed the sense of a building.
Drafted in 2014 but not published until 2018.

New Web Site

Hayes and Finch Ltd have launched their new web site!

http://www.hfltd.com/

Cabaret at the Casa

The choir Liverpool Voice hosted their first ever Cabaret evening at the Casa at Hope Street last Friday, and it proved to be an enjoyable evening with a wide range of musical experience.

The evening got off to a dramatic start, with just two choir members on the stage. Dee Owen and Erik Bichard sang the soloists parts in Verdi's Brindisi, while the choir joined in flash mob style from amongst the audience, making their way onto the stage for the final section. This chorus, celebrating the pleasures of love youth and wine, was in contrasting mood to the chorus of the Hebrew slaves from Nabucco, the other piece by Verdi in this bi-centenial year of his birth.

During the course of the evening the choir, conducted by their musical director Lesley Bentley, former Director of Arts at Notre Dame Specialist Arts College, went onto to perform Java Jive, Moon River, and Somewhere over the Rainbow, before finishing the evening with what has become their signature piece, Keep you in Peace.

There is a rich vein of musical talent within the choir, and the evening gave opportunity for this to be show-cased. Phil Hargreaves and Erik Bichard are confident entertainers, and we were well entertained by their folk songs, sung as solos and duets, accompanied by guitar, trumpet and accordion. The most rapturous applause of the evening was probably reserved for singer songwriter Sean Keogh. Singing from the keyboard, he wowed the audience with a spirited performance of his songs which made full use of his excellent vocal range.

With the exception of Richard Dempsey, whose rich unaccompanied voice was well suited to the two Irish folk songs he performed, the other soloists were accompanied by the choir's accompanist, RNCM trained John McHugh. Brenda Connor sang her two Patsy Cline numbers from the stage, Mike Pendray sang Fields of Gold next to the keyboard, and Pauline Bellis sat on the edge of the stage to sing her song, Hiding my Heart Away. The warm and appreciative audience made it a very rewarding experience for the soloists, some of whom had little or no experience of performing solo before.

The third leg of the evening was instrumental music from Acoustica. Introduced by Martin Dobson, an erstwhile member of Liverpool Voice himself, the trio played folk music from various parts of the world on the concertina, flute and bouzouki.

This was the first cabaret evening put on by Liverpool Voice, and we expect that it will not be the last.

Liverpool Voice rehearse on a Thursday evening in the Edge Hill area of the city. They aim to perform to a high standard while keeping the rehearsals both fun and workmanlike. They are always on the look out for potential new members. Anyone interested in joining can ring 07901349080 and leave a voicemail message, or email liverpoolvoice@hotmail.co.uk and they will hear back.

Their next scheduled performances are Christmas concerts at St. Anne's church, Edge Hill on Saturday 7th December, and at Crosby Hall on Friday 13th December. They are also taking part in a Nugent Care fundraising concert at Bishop Eton on Saturday 14th December.

Whitbarrow

Last Saturday, January 26,  I went walking at Whitbarrow, an enjoyable walk in the snow on a bright and beautiful day.
We had snow lying on the ground in Liverpool all week, with fresh falls overnight, so it was no surprise that only two lanes of the motorway were usable going past Wigan, but when we got past Lancaster it felt bizarre as there was no snow on the ground at all.
It was a bright morning, and I parked just off the A590 by the village of Millside. I parked behind another car, and two more cars parked behind me before I had put my boots and gear on. There were clumps of melting snow falling from the roadside trees as I walked through the village.
I tracked part of my route up on Strava. There were some good views looking out across the lower reaches of the Lyth Valley.

The path brought me to the foot of white scar, and then I took a path that climbed up just before that point.

The snow was quite slippery at points, but there were some attractive trees on the way, and eventually I came out to the sunshine shining on the bright snow.

I was glad that someone else had done the walk since the last snowfall. Finding the path would have been very haphazard otherwise.

There were some great views looking over toward Grange over sands and Arnside, a bit difficult to catch on the camera.

After a while of trudging through the three inch high snow, it occurred to me that it might be quite good for making a snowman. My Snowman had height, taller than me, but not much girth, and was a rather more of a stack or chimney really.

After retrieving my hat, I ventured on, and met the first two of the nine people in total that I met during the walk a little too late to make it worth turning back and asking them to take a picture of me with the snowman.

It was glorious day, walking along in the snow, with beautiful views all around. To the left was Witherslack Hall, now a school, overlooked by Chapel Head Scar.

There is a path shown running back down the valley, whether I got the correct turn or not I cannot be sure, but I followed some tracks in the snow that turned down at a pepper pot type monument.

It felt like Winnie the Pooh, and Where the Weazle wasn't following the tracks in the snow, then the patch became better defined and there were some slippery moments on the snow.

I met a couple who I chatted with a while, and they took a picture of me. He remarked how quiet it was, which came as a bit of a surprise to me. I had made my ascent to the sound of cars travelling on the A590, but here in the valley it was very quiet.
At the bottom I took the path towards the school, and turned back when I realised I needed the path nearer the cliff. I was glad to have walked a little at the bottom of the valley. It must have been cooler here, or sheltered from the sun, and the snow was still crisp.
The path I wanted took me through High Crag Wood, underneath Chapel Head Scar. Walking there must be quite different in summer, when the cliff would be shielded by the the trees.

As it was it was almost eerie, quite quiet, but with the sounds of birds from different parts of the woods.

At one point I passed a dead silver birch tree, with saucer like fungus growing from the trunk, the brown top and white underside looking all the more strange with a helping of snow on top.

Eventually the path reached a lane, where I had a nice interlude.  Having met just nine people while on the walk there were more than that number sat in the Hikers' Rest. Some local people had set up an outhouse with facilities to make tea & coffee, with an honesty envelope to put through the door of the next cottage. I had no change, but the folk already there invited me to join them, and after some polite banter it turned out that some of them had been in Morocco with a family from our church.
The road back through the village went past a pond, where the water was very still and there were great reflections in the water.

When I got back to the car, I was able to take off my boots, which being suede had become a little soggy in the slushy slow. Before I had finished my lunch, it had started to rain, and I realised that I had enjoyed the best of the weather.

Les Miserables

This is a great film, with very worthy performances.  Of course it is a good show, with some great songs, but it did not feel like a story that was interrupted by the songs one bit. The songs were part of the emotion and the drama.
There is plenty of emotion, and Anne Hathaway, Samantha Barks and Eddie Redmayne deserve all the awards that are coming their way.
It is a great tale. The criminal Jean Valjean is caught stealing silver, and instead of being sent down receives forgiveness and great mercy, which changes his life forever.  We see him later showing kindness to a sick woman, and then bringing up her daughter. Then we jump again to her teens, and he is set to lose her to a young man, except that the young man looks set to lose his life in an ill fated revolution.  All the while Valjohn   lives under an assumed identity, as he is on the run for breaking parole, with one officer in particular, played by Russell Crowe, making it a personal mission to catch him.  Alongside all this tension and drama, Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter pay a roguish innkeeper and his wife, a bring a lighter touch of humour.
It is a long film, but the story zips along at a good pace, with the songs telling the story rather than interrupting it. As well as excitement and drama, there are some very tender moments, especially in the lull before the barricades are stormed. There is also some amazing camera shots. But for all the great acting, drama, filming and storytelling, three performances stand out especially.
Anne Hathaway has a grueling story to tell as Fantine. We meet her struggling to keep a factory job to pay for her daughter's keep, and we see her lose the job unjustly, then reduced to selling her hair, then her teeth, before taking to prostitution. With tears across her face she sings a lament for the life that she dreamed of, a very moving performance.
When Marius and Cosette first sing their love duet, there is a third voice singing. Samantha Barks plays Eponine, who also loves Marius, but helps him to meet Cosette. As songs of unrequited love go, her performance sung in the rain outside in the street has to be one of the most powerful and moving.
The song "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" is very moving at any time, as  Marius laments the death of his friends at the barricade. Eddie Redmayne performs it amongst the ruins with dirt and tears across his face, much more lament than song.
The film ends with a reprise of the barricade, resolute and optimistic, which is just as well given all the loss and sadness, and helped the audience broke into applause at the end. Well deserved applause, for many great performances and great story, well presented.

Habakkuk Tay

If you are in the house when I leave in the morning, you may hear me wishing you a good day. On the other hand you may think that is what you hear, but the words that I actually say may be, just slightly, different.

When it comes to having a good day, or keeping a positive attitude whatever the circumstances bring, you can do a lot worse than Habakkuk 3:17-18

Achilles

As much as I enjoyed reading Madeline Miller's book, The Song of Achilles, I cannot help feeling, on reflection, that Achilles is a poor role model to set before our young people.
Then as now, children need fathers, and Achilles behaviour in abandoning his wife, pregnant with their child, cannot be condoned, and does much to explain Pyrrhus delinquent behaviour.
Nor can Achilles be said to have served the Greek people well. That he should, for the sake of a petty quarrel with one of his fellow princes, sit idly by while his people were being slaughtered is incomprehensible.
Moreover his much vaunted fighting ability is seen to owe as much to his armour as any expertise on his part, as demonstrated by Patroclus' feats when he wore it.
But it is not fair to judge Achilles by today's standards. Surely his greatest failing was not protecting what he loved most. Had he chosen to fight at Patroclus side and defend him as he had promised, we would today be mingling with the descendents of Briseis and Patroclus. That is our loss and Achilles shame.

Call Mr. Robeson

We were well entertained by Tayo Aluko last Saturday.
It was just as well. We were kept waiting in the foyer and stairway for over half an hour after, while they sorted out some technical details to do with the performance being recorded. We were feeling quite hot and bothered by the time it got started.  Part way into the program, he gave a great rendition of old man river, which drew a good round of applause, and the wait was forgotten.
Paul Robeson was a singer, actor and entertainer, who used his fame to advance the lot of his fellow black Americans, and oppressed people around the world. He made friends with striking Welsh coal miners, and in Russia, where he first tasted the freedom of not being looked down on for his colour. Such friendships did not go down well in the McCarthy era, and he found himself isolated, impoverished and in poor health during much of the fifties.
All this was colourfully portrayed by by Tayo, who played the part of Robeson as an old man, telling the story of his loves, his passions and events from his life, and singing some of his songs.  There was just one pianist accompanying him on the stage.
It is an inspiring story, well told, and a good evenings entertainment.  At the end Tayo answered a few questions put to him by the audience at the Capstone Theatre, where he spoke about his admiration for the man.

Passport

Her Britannic Majesty's

Secretary of State

Requests and requires in the

Name of Her Majesty

all those whom it may concern

to allow the bearer to pass freely

without let or hindrance,

and afford to the bearer

such assistance and protection

as may be necessary.

My new passport arrived today, complete with pictures of an acorn on the inside back cover, oak leaves on the inside front cover, and pictures of various landscapes on the middle pages.

Meal times

We stayed with a family of six in America for a week leading up to our son's wedding in June, and on the first day we arranged to have lunch with our hosts.  We are glad we did, because it was the only meal we had with the four of us together all week.

How did we manage to stay a whole week and not sit down for an evening meal together?

• We arrived on the Sunday, and met the parents of the bride for the first time, and she cooked enchiladas  for us all. We felt welcomed by Kim's parents right from the start.
• On Monday John & Kim wanted to take both lots of parents for a meal together. An evening remembered for the number of restaurants that were closed and how how hot it still was at 10.30pm when we left.
• Tuesday was Baseball night in Milwaukee for some, complete with beer and hot dog with fries, and preparing table decorations for others.
• The bride's shower and the groom's bachelor party were both on Wednesday, so we ended up at two different venues. I stayed at home, as our hosts were hosting the bachelor party.
• On Thursday we started preparing the trifles. My part was a shopping trip, all the more fun as John arrived just in time to come with me. The younger ones watched a movie downstairs, and we got pizzas in.
• The wedding rehearsal was on Friday evening, and we did get to eat with our hosts, and about 50 others at Pazzo's, with trifles for afters.
• The wedding on Saturday was wonderful, and on Sunday we went home.

We may not have had many meals together, but we were well looked after by our hosts.

The Song of Achilles

This is a great story and a very enjoyable read. Madeline Miller has made ancient Greece and the battle for Troy to be accessible, believable and fun. The story is told in the first person by Patroclus, Achilles friend and companion.

It is hard to believe, in the opening chapters, that anything good can happen in Patroclus' life. Motherless, a disappointment to his father, a natural victim, he fights back against one of his tormentors, who falls, hitting his head and dies. Patroclus is exiled to Phthia, and has every reason to hate Phthia's prince Achilles, who has taken for himself Patroclus' only possession, his mother's lyre.

But Achilles has chosen Patroclus as his companion, his therapon, his brother-in-arms. The friendship grows in childhood, through their education by Chiron the centaur, in hiding on the Isle of Scyros, and eventually what Achilles was born for, the battle for Troy.

It is a strange world, Greece in the age of heroes, where the gods have children with mortals, take sides in battles, and men value honour and reputation more than happiness or friendship. Men fight in mortal combat all day but shake hands at dusk when the heralds say it is time to stop.

What makes it such an enjoyable read is Miller's handling of the psychology. Whether it is a boy's feelings about change, a father's hope for his children, a woman's choice in difficult circumstances, or a prince's reaction to not being honoured as he expects; it is all very believable and real.

It would be a rare book to have no sex, and this one includes homosexual love, but it is understated and not overly emphasised.  The battle lust is much more vividly portrayed.

What turns the book from an absorbing experience to the thrilling page turner in the final chapters is not sex, or battlefield. Nor is it medicine or Patroclus' bravery, or the loyalty of the slave girl Briseis,  though they deserve mentioning.  It is the relationship between the Greek princes.  

It is their petty jealousies, their blind pride, the perceived insults and failure to back down which cause the calamities, and gives the story its momentum.  The book is a wonderful introduction to the world of Homer, and much more easy to read.

http://www.madelinemiller.com/the-song-of-achilles/

Driving in Kenosha

Earlier this year I had my first experience of driving in America. We were lent a black Kia, and I became a Dallas Cowboys supporter for the week.

I was glad to be picked up from the airport, and see how Americans drive on the interstate. They have a relaxed attitude to lanes, overtaking on the inside rather than getting wound up at people staying in an outside or middle lane.  Quite a good idea, really.
Apart from one trip to watch a baseball game in Milwaukee, all my driving was in Kenosha and Pleasant Prairie. I am sure Chicago and downtown Milwaukee would have been a bit different, but the experience was quite relaxed.
The roads are generally straight, and quite wide, and there is very little on street parking, and plenty of parking by the shops. The speed limits are relatively slow, 45, 35 and 25mph, and the car was automatic with air conditioning, and we were on holiday.
Of course driving on the right was different, and a couple of occasions I would have caused an accident, but for a sharp cry from Ann in the passenger seat or good reactions the other driver. There was also a slight sense of unease, on turning left on a wider road, as if there might be traffic on the other side of the road coming from behind rather than in front.

I found it difficult to get used to the four way stop.  These also served to make the driving feel relaxed, because when you get to one of these you slow right down and stop, even when you can see there is no other car there. If there is another car already there, you give way to them.
It is so different to almost every junction here  in the UK where one road is the major road with right of way, and the other is the minor road and gives way.  I arrived at one four way stop from what felt a very minor road, when a truck was coming from left to right - all my instincts were to stay still until he had passed, but it did not happen  -- he started to slow down, and I needed to move off so as to not delay him more than necessary. It did feel weird.
There is not a great deal of difference between the look of a stop sign at a minor road, and a four way stop, which got me beeped at on one occasion. After stopping at what I thought was a four way stop I started to go expecting the car yet to arrive at the stop would do the same. Well he did, and beeped at me, because he had the right of way.

Finding you way around Kenosha is very easy. All the Avenues run North South, and are numbered from the   shoreline out to the west, and all the streets run East West, and are numbered from number 1 in the north to 128 on the border with Illinois.  If you are heading for 7426 27th Avenue, you know to find it between 74th and 75 street.  It was basically very easy.
There are some complications. One is that the major roads are also known by their state numbers, so that 104th street is also route 165, and 7th street is also route 50. Another is that you cannot just turn up any street or avenue and expect to get where you want, as some are discontinuous. You get to learn which streets (80th 85th 104th) and which Avenues (22nd 39th) will get you through rather than deliver you to a dead end. Choosing a road with traffic lights at the junction is a good clue.  Then some roads run at angles to the grid system, or take different numbers as they weave around.  Sheridan Road, also route 32, is 13th Ave in toward the south and 9th Avenue near the town centre.  Even with the complications, we managed to get almost everywhere without the need of a map.
Back in the UK I looked at the Google map of Racine, the neighbouring town to the north.  It was most confusing! Most of the roads had names instead of numbers, Avenues ran East West as well as North South,  and so did the streets. I am glad we were not so adventurous as to look there, I have no idea how they manage.

So, on to the final story, which was second to last night. I was grateful to our hosts, who had lent the car for driving us home at the end of the festivities on the Saturday. On the Friday night I drove home, starting with dropping one family member off elsewhere. The first leg of the journey was fine, but shortly after restarting there were flashing lights from a police car behind, so I came to a stop, and the police stopped some distance behind.
I do not often get stopped in this or any other country, and did not see any problem with getting out and making my way to them to see what the problem was. They were quick and forceful in making sure I understood I was to get back in the car. It was not a pleasant experience. It turned out I had forgotten to turn the lights back on after the stop, so after a lot of questions, when he eventually let us go on, I was glad to be making my way with lights on the rest of the journey.

A Father's Blessing

John & Kim, dearly loved, greatly treasured, highly esteemed.

As you have each been as individuals, so may you ever be, and all the more so, as a married couple.

May the son of man, who did not come to be served, but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many, be your helper as you learn to love and serve each other in marriage.

May the Lord lead you and bless you richly, in friendship, in hospitality, in parenting, in mentoring, in ministry, in witness, in music, and in celebration.

And in all that the Lord leads you into, may you ever find time and space for one another in the marriage, so that you will each know yourselves, to be loved, treasured and esteemed by the other.

June 23rd 2012.

Marc Chagall

February last year four of us went to Nice, and we visited the Marc Chagall museum. We walked from our hotel, and up the hill near the flyover. Presumably there is a car park, but from the gate we went in we saw a garden, ticket office and shop to the left, a conservatory housing a cafe to the right, and the single storey museum ahead.
The museum houses three major collections, a biblical series, and two on the Song of Solomon, one by Chagall, and one by another artist.  We looked at the biblical scenes first, and that is what I recall most. There is also a cinema showing a film about the artist, that did not hold my attention, as it was in French. Along the side there is a big stained glass window, and there are three sets of sketches he made in designing them.
The first painting in the biblical collection is Abraham, and that is the one I remember most vividly.  It shares many of the features found in the other paintings.
The first thing I noticed was the scale. These are large paintings filling up large sections of wall.  Each one hung in its own section of wall, and was very imposing.
There are broad blocks of vibrant colour, the angels are blue, with white wings, all against a red background. Other paintings had broad blocks of colour. One of the garden of Eden was largely green, with a bright bush of with lots of bright colours, and the one of the flood was unusual for having mainly brown.
Line was an important part of each composition. The angels sat at a horizontal table, and their wings made fairly vertical lines, while a separate scene off the the top right was separated by wide arc.  Other paintings were notable for their juxtaposition of straight and curved lines at different angles.
Another thing that impressed me was the texture. Large blocks of the Abraham painting were red background, but none of it was plain red. The whole area was a rich mixture of brushstrokes, giving a vivid interest without detracting from the characters in the painting.
It was a feature of many of the paintings to have smaller subsidiary scenes tucked away in part of the canvas. Sometimes this was another episode from the same story, in others, it was images from elsewhere or recent past.  Another feature was rather strange fanciful animals that filled up parts of the canvas.
By the end we had become quite familiar with his style, and can often recognise his paintings when we meet them somewhere else now.
My recollection of the Song of Solomon series was that they were generally lighter and brighter, with pale or white backgrounds.
We ended the visit with some lunch in the cafe, which we ate at one of the tables out on the grass.  Here we took some pictures of the palms growing, which proved almost as inspirational as the museum.
So, there it is. It has taken me eighteen months to write it, but I guess it is easier to write more succinctly looking back than nearer the time.

Laser at Killington

I had a great introduction to sailing the KSA club laser this weekend. I was encouraged when I arrived on Saturday morning to find another club member had been sailing it, so it must be all present and correct. I was discouraged that the lake was largely flat and he was bringing it in because there was not enough wind. But I saw how the mast fit together and noticed the spare boom which would have confused me otherwise. When, after looking at the map to plan a walk and chatting to the people doing a power boat lesson... the wind seemed to be picking up a little, I gave it a go.
I was confused at first looking for a halyard, until I realised the sail slides onto the mast. The boat has a very long main sheet, and a very long out haul, all tied up neatly round the boom. I used this to hook the dagger board onto, because I could not find anywhere better.
It was a very gentle wind, and a nice gentle introduction to boat. It moved along quit nicely in the light wind, though it did not feel like it when sailing with the wind, the stream of water at the stern showed it was so. Later the wind grew a little stronger and there was a reassuring splash of water from the bows as well.  I found the tiller very low over the stern, so that it caught against the cleat on the deck.  Altogether the boat felt very secure, probably slightly less tippy than the RS Feva always feels after the Wayfarer.
There was some sunshine, and there were dark clouds, and the lake looked very beautiful at points.
I brought the boat in gently enough, with the sail gently flapping, then I took the gooseneck off, which was a mistake. The sail curved nicely, and started pulling the boat away from me. I started untying the long end of the out hall, till I realised that all that was needed was to unclip the hook at the clew.  Packing up the boat was OK, except that several of the ties are missing from the cover.

The next day was quite a different experience, with a force 4 or 5 wind. The sea scouts were out in force, John the rower was there a younger realtive, and there was a club member sailing a Pico with his daughter. Later the strong winds brought out a couple of windsurfers as well.
The laser certainly zipped across the lake at an impressive speed, which was very exhilarating. The boat was responsive, and felt very reassuring. I could understand why it is a popular boat for racing.
I capsized twice, and it was easy enough to right, and to climb back on board. The second time I noticed the rudder was out of its catch, (not sure whether that caused the capsize?) and I was unwilling to right the boat until I had fixed it securely. It was a bit a a struggle locating it above the water, and I was impressed that the boat had not turned turtle in the delay. By the time I was back on the boat the sea scout safety boat had arrived, which was good of them.
The scariest moment was during a gust while sailing with the wind. I felt out of control of the boat, none of the normal instincts kicked in. I have never needed to do more than avoid a jibe when sailing downwind before. The boat started swaying from side to side which was disconcerting, so I turned from a broad reach to a beam reach and it felt much better.
The sheet had just one pulley, which I found not much in the strong wind. The centre main was fitted with ratchet block, but even set as tight as possible I still found holding the sheet quite heavy. So I found my self using the cleats, despite the risk.  I found there are two ways of getting wet using cleats. I avoided the obvious one, not being able to let the sheet out in a gust, but when you tighten the sheet, but fail to get the cleat to grip properly before you let go, the boom swings out, and the boat tips back, and that was my third dip of the day.
I never quite found how to avoid the sheet getting caught occasionally round the stern of the boat. It was easy enough to turn to wind and release it, but you would not want to be doing that in a race or in a more crowded lake.
All of which makes the boat sound quite a handful to control, which was not the impression I had at all. It felt very secure, impressively sporty and a lot of fun.  A great couple of hours sailing.

Kenosha

Kenosha has a beautiful shoreline on the banks of Lake Michigan.

To the south, we did not visit Kensosha Sand Dunes or Southport Park, but I did contemplate the lake from the jetty in the grounds of the Kemper Center, which houses the Anderson Arts Center. Just along from there is the beach, by Eichelman Park, and Southport Marina, and the three museums, Public, Civil War and Dinosaur.

We left these to visit for another day, choosing instead to while away our time by the harbour, as often as not at Haborside Common Grounds.  We did venture north, past a second marina catering only for power boats, but we were otherywise engaged during concert that takes place each Wednesday night in summer at the Bandshell in Pennoyer Park. Our journey took us to the campus of Carthage College, where John studies, which was just beautiful. We did not see any litter anywhere.

Away from the shoreline, Kenosha (population 99,218) has plenty of amenities and industry, but has a relaxed, small town feel. The roads are wide and spacious, the traffic is generally light, and driving is easy. The cities of Milwaukee and Chicago are about an hour's drive away. We went to watch the Milwaukee Brewers play the Toronto Bluejays at Basketball at Miller Park - a great game, with a 10 - 9 scoreline, and several of our group ventured into Chicago where they enjoyed the great architecture.  We also went west as far as Lake Geneva and saw some scenery that was not so flat as the rest.

For many, the attraction of Kenosha lies near the junction of 60th Street and 39th Avenue - Living Light Church. It is here that they run the Living Light School of Worship, a nine month course pursuing Christian Maturity, Music, and other aspects of Worship. That is what brought our son John to Kenosha, and introduced him to friends at Living Light and around the world.

He never went with the intention of staying, but now he is married and living in Kenosha. That is, for us at least, the greatest attraction of Kenosha.